The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to an apparatus and method for delivering a substance, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a disposable apparatus and method for delivering a drug to an unskilled and unsupervised recipient at a variable rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,895 to Sage relates generally to a device for delivering a liquid therapeutic preparation into the body of a patient by injection into or though the patient's skin, and more particularly, to a low-profile automatic injection device that can be worn inconspicuously under the clothing of a patient to allow a liquid therapeutic preparation (such as insulin) to be administered over an extended period of time, and that incorporates a self-emptying reservoir to eliminate the need for a pump or other type of discharge device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,780,636 to Radmer relates to devices which are adapted for application to a skin surface of a user and comprise a transcutaneous device such as a needle or a needle-like member which is supplied in a sterile condition, as well as transcutaneous devices suitable for being used therewith. In specific aspects, the invention relates to transcutaneous devices adapted for insertion at a selected site within the body of a subject for subcutaneous, intravenous, intramuscular or intradermal delivery of a drug to the subject, the needles also being adapted for connection to a reservoir for containing a drug.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,501 to Gross discloses an intradermal drug delivery device comprising a housing having a drug reservoir therein. A microprocessor-controlled electrolytic cell provides gas to expand a gas generation chamber and thereby contract the reservoir. A hollow needle, communicating at an inner end thereof with the reservoir, extends from a lower surface of the housing such that contraction of the reservoir forces drug to escape therefrom for injection into a user via the needle. The device permits delivery of drugs of relatively large molecular weights at slow, controllable rates.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,918,843 to Genosar discloses a controllable drug delivery device for delivering a liquid injectable drug, the device comprising a drug reservoir, a drug delivery device, a displacement-generating battery, and a current-depletion circuit, wherein displacement generated by the battery as current is depleted from the battery by the current depletion circuit displaces a wall of the drug reservoir thereby causing the reservoir to expel liquid injectable drug contained therein via the drug delivery device, and wherein the drug delivery device further includes a controller that is responsive to a measured parameter indicative of displacement generated by the battery for applying a variable load across the battery in order to provide a substantially constant-current depletion of the battery and thereby cause the drug delivery device to deliver a substantially constant drug delivery rate.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0184342 and international patent application WO2009/081262 to Pesach, et al. disclose an apparatus and a system for controlling and/or managing administration of a drug to a body of a patient. The apparatus includes a drug infusion device configured to deliver drug at a predetermined location in the body of the patient, at least one sensor disposed in the drug infusion device and configured to measure a corresponding property related to the patient and selected from the group consisting of physiological properties, biochemical properties, environmental properties and drug-related properties, a controller disposed in the drug infusion device and configured to receive from the at least one sensor data representative of the measured corresponding property and based on the received data, determine a drug delivery rate. The drug delivery device is configured to deliver the drug to the body of the patient based on the determined drug delivery rate.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0178472 and international application WO 2011/090955 to the present author discloses A needle assembly adapted for fluid communication with a cartridge containing a substance to be delivered to a subject. The needle assembly is characterized by a biasing device arranged to apply a biasing force on a needle to cause the needle to protrude outwardly from a housing to, pierce the subject, and a biasing device release apparatus including a biasing device arrestor that initially blocks movement of the biasing device.
A safety latch position sensor is provided for sensing when a safety latch moves to an up position indicating that the device has been attached to a patient. A controller initiates operation of an actuator after a predetermined time delay (e.g., 5-15 seconds) to ensure that the drug delivery apparatus was indeed placed on purpose on the patient for delivering the drug. When operated, the actuator moves the biasing device arrestor out of an aperture. The actuator rotates a drive gear, which in turn rotates a spur gear to rotate a shaft. Rotation of the shaft causes the biasing device arrestor to move linearly out of the aperture along threaded portion. When the biasing device arrestor reaches the end of threaded portion, it rotates freely on a shaft and moves no further. As soon as the biasing device arrestor has, moved out of the aperture, the biasing device is no longer blocked and it now pushes on a needle, thereby piercing the patient's skin.
Additional background art includes U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0178472 to the same author, U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,901 to Tsukada, et al., and European Patent No. EP 0 744 975 to Knauer.